Closure operator



' A z- 1927' o. w. JOHNSON CLOSURE ormmon Filed "Jan. 5. 1925 1 Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR W. JOHNSON, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WARD-LOVEPUMP COR- PORATION, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLOSURE OPERATOR.

Application filed January 5, 1925. Serial No. 474.

This invention relates to closure operators adapted for application to a cap or closure element far a filling pipe or tube or for any orifice in a similar member whether for filling or discharging purposes. present application of my invention is to the filling pipe of a tank or container and, more particularly, to a tank such as is used 1n water softening apparatus.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved closure for a filling pipe in which the closure cap-is not threadedly connected tothe pipe but seats preferably against a gasket, and in which fastening'means is employed to clamp the cap in the closing position and to release it, which means is threadedly engaged on the pipe and connected with the cap to impart rectilinear movement for seating it rather than to impart rotative movement wh1ch might impair or injure the gasket.

Another object is to provide in a device or structure of the character described means for guiding the screw threaded clamp, especially when entering it onto the threaded pipe; also to provide a spray nozzle for spraying or distributing water into the tank as wlll be described more fully hereinafter.

Still another ob ect of my invention is to providea practical and satisfactory means for closing the filling orifice in the top of a water softener tank of the kind used for household purposes and the like as distinguished from large capacity apparatus used for,industrial purposes. The orifice referred to 'is used the base-exchange material such as zeolites,

' also for introducing salt for the purpose'of regeneration. To this end it is necessary to have a comparatively large diameter filling pipe with which the ordinary and conventional cap and closures cannot be satisfactorily used. The present invention provides, however, a very effective means for closing a filling orifice of this kind and at the same time providing a spraying or distributing water into the top of the tank when regenerating. Other objects and attendant advantages v will be appreciated by those skilled in this art as the, invention becomes better understood by reference to the following descrip- The for filling the tank with.

satisfactory means for.

tion when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view through a screw-threaded closure operator embodying my invention;

Fig. 2,1s a top view thereof; and

Fig. 3, is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. The present application of my invention 15 to the filling pipe neck or tube 4 on the top of a tank or container 5. An annular closure cap 6 is adapted to seat on an end surface of the pipe 4 for closing the orifice therein. A suitable gasket 7 is interposed between the cap 6 and seat 8 on the pipe, the gasket being retained in a recess 9 in the underside of the cap.

A clam threadedly engaged on the perlphery o the pipe 4 is employed for clamping the cap against its seat and likewise for withdrawing the cap therefrom. This clamp comprises a nut element 11 and having integral therewith and extending upwardly therefrom a diametrically disposed yoke 12 which overlies the cap 6 and has a centrally disposed depending pressure-exerting point 13 which engages in a complemental recess 14L in the top of the cap. The clam may be turned by any suitable means, eit er by grasping it directly or by the aid of a tool.

is obtained in combination 'with'the thread:

ed mounting of the clamp.

. To the underside of the cap 6 is attached or suitably applied means for functioning both as a guide and a spray nozzle or distributor. In the present embodiment of my invention this comprises an annular gasket retainer 16, a perforated disc 17 a plurality of ribs 18 interposed between the parts 16 and 17 for, holding them in spaced relation, and a bolt 19 passing through said parts with its head bearing against the underside of the said part 17 and its threaded end engaged in the cap so as to clamp said parts and likewise the gasket to the underside of they cap 6.

A Water supply pipe 21 enters the filler pipe 4 above the disc or nozzle 17 so that the circumferentially aboutthe seat.

Z f his character,

water supply delivered into the pipe 4 will be sprayed or distributed into the tank below by reason of the perforations in the disc 17. The small perforationsor orifices 22 5 in the disc 17 are shaped so that the water will be discharged in a spray-like delivery in a divergingspray so as to distribute the water over a larger area than that of the filler pipe 4 to aid in dissolving the salt and H secure more uniform distribution of the solution.

In the particular use of my improvement herein disclosed it will be observed that the cap 6 is firmly clamped in the closing posi- 171 tion by the clamp which has beenpulled or turned down, the clamping pressure being centrally applied by a rectilinear movement to the center of the cap so that it will be held seated by a uniform application of pressure In this position the nut element 11 is spaced below the cap a distance indicated by 23 (Fig; 1). Thus when removing the cap the clamp may first be loosened and then unscrewed quite 25 rapidly so that the nut element willv strike the lower edge of the cap with such force as to unseat it. This forceful lifting blow is desirable since in some cases after long usage the cap is somewhat corroded or stuck to 39 the seat and considerable pressure is required to remove it. After the nut element of the clamp has been unscrewed from the pipe 4, the clamp, cap and parts attached thereto by the bolt 19 may be lifted from the pipe orifice to permit filling the tank with zeolite or salt as the case may require. When replacing the parts it will be observed that'the disc 17 by contact with the inner wall of the pipe will constitute a guide in 40 that it'positions the cap 6 in proper alignment with the pipe; and by reason of the close contact between the periphery of the cap and the adjacent arms of the yoke and,

by. contact of the cap against the nut element 11 the latter will be located in proper alignment with the threaded end of the pipe 4 so as to properly engage the threads thereof, thus facilitating entrance of the nut onto-thethreaded part.

scribed, water may be delivered into the top of the tank through the pipe 21 and will be sprayed and distributed by the interposition of the disc 17 which functions as a spray nozzle. It will be dbserved that when tighteningrthe clamp considerable pressure may be exerted on the cap without turning'it and consequently Without injuring the gasket.

It should be understood that my 'inven tion is applicable to a cap' closure for any pipe or similar member having ,an orifice either for filling or. discharge purposes. I

have, therefore used the term pipe or as meaning any mem-i neck in the c aims When 50 the cap is clamped down in position as de- It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects prefaced above and while I have illustrated but a single working embodiment it should be understood that in different applications of my invention changes might be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts within the scope of the invention. as described in the appended claims, in which I claim: 1. lmcombination, an externally threaded pipe, a closure cap adapted to seat thereon and equipped with guide means extending into the pipe to cooperate with the internal wall thereof, and a clamp threadedly engaged on said pipe and having means for engaging opposed sides of the closure cap, whereby to clamp the cap against its seat when the clamp is turned in one direction and to withdraw the cap from said seat when turned in the opposite direction, the cap being so closely associated with the clamp that said guide will serve to hold the clamp in operative relation to the pipe threads when entering the clamp onto the .comprising in combination, an externally threaded pipe, a closure cap adapted to seat On the pipe to close the orifice therein, and an operator for said closure cap arranged either to jam the cap against its seat or remove the same therefrom. said operator comprising an internallyv threaded ortion for threaded engagement with the pipe and an integral yoke portion extending across the outside and over the top of the cap and joined at its ends to the threaded portion, whereby to provide a side opening for entering the cap in the operator, said operator being arranged to jam the cap against its seat by engagement of its yokeportion with the top of the cap 'when the operator is threaded onto the pipe and being arranged to force the cap off its seat by engagement of its threadedportion with the underside of the cap when the operator is threaded ofl the pipe.

4. In a device asset forthinclaim 3,the provision of a bearing between the yoke portion of the operator and the top of the closure cap comprising a conical projection on one of the said members, and a depression receive the same provided the ,the pipe for closing the orifice therein, a

one-piece clamp having a nut portlon threaded on the pipe and a yoke extending diametrically across the outside of the cap and joined at its ends to said nut portion, and diametrically opposed handles on the clamp in alignment with said yoke, whereby when the clamp is turned in one direction the yoke will bear against the cap for clamping it to its seat and when turned in the opposite direction the nut portion will bear against the other side of the cap for removing it from its seat.

6.cA device of the character described comprising, in combination, an externally threaded pipe, a closure cap adapted to seat on the pipe to close the orifice therein, and an operator for said closure cap arranged either to jam the cap against its seat or remove the same therefrom, said operator comprising an internally threaded nut portion for threaded engagement with the pipe, and an integral yoke portion extending across the top thereof and joined at its ends to the nut portion whereby to provide a recess for the cap between the yoke portion and the nut portion, the cap havin its edges overlying the nut portion of sai operator and being disposed beneath the yoke portion whereby the operator is arranged to jam the capagainst its seat by engagement of its yokeportion with the top of the cap when the operator is threaded onto the pipe and is arranged to force the cap 01]? its seat by engagement of its nut portion with the under side of the cap when the operator is unthreaded from the pipe;

7. In combination, a tank having an externally threaded filling pipe, a closure cap seated against said pipe, a fluid distributor within said pipe attached to the inner side of the cap and spaced therefrom toward the inner en of the pipe, the filler pipehaving a fluid inlet opening intermediate the cap and said distributor, and a clamp threadedly engaged'on the pipe for clamping the cap in the closed position.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7,

including a gasket interposed between the cap and pipe, and means for holding the gasket in position against the ca including a bolt which serves also to hol the distributor in position on the cap.

9. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, a pipe, such as the filling pipe of a tank, a cap for closing the orifice in the pipe, a gasket providing a seat against which thecap isarranged to be clamped, a gasket retainer for holding the gasket against the cap, a perforated distributor plate, spacing means between said gasket retainer and said late, a bolt for fastenin said plate tm sai cap to hold the cap, gas et retainer, spacing meansand plate assembled together, and means for clamping the .cap in position closing the oritfice in the pipe, said pipe being provided with a fluid inlet opening. between said distributor plate and cap.

' OSCAR W. JOHNSON. 

